Oakland Raiders: Top 5 free agent targets still available
By Justin Fried
3. Gerald McCoy, DT
A recent addition to the free agent pool, longtime Tampa Bay Buccaneers great Gerald McCoy could be a late-May splash free agent signing for the Raiders, even if he doesn’t exactly fill a position of need.
McCoy has long been one of the premier interior disruptors in the league. The 2010 third overall pick had his six-year Pro Bowl streaked snapped last season but still managed six sacks in 14 games started. That makes it six straight seasons where McCoy has totaled at least six sacks.
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While his play has perhaps slipped a little in recent years, he’s still playing at a very high level. Pro Football Focus gave him a 78.6 grade which still ranked him as the 28th best interior defensive lineman in the league.
There is a bit of a logjam at defensive tackle for the Raiders but that doesn’t mean that McCoy can’t still be a sizable upgrade. Fifth-round pick Maurice Hurst excelled in his rookie season while veteran Johnathan Hankins and second-year P.J. Hall played valuable roles as well, but neither of the latter two offers much interior pressure.
The price tag might be a bit steep, but the Raiders haven’t shied away from giving bigger contracts to veteran players in the past. A front-loaded deal would make a ton of sense for the team and complete the revamping of their defensive line.
The only issue is that they likely won’t be alone in pursuit of the six-time Pro Bowler.